#and the icing on the cake is that they pray for you in return

[angeltreasure]

Hi, I'm Protestant, but could you explain how you "offer up" suffering for souls in purgatory? In fact, could I be a pain in the rear and ask for any and all info you have about purgatory? I've found myself fascinated ever since I learned that offering up your suffering was a thing. Thank you!

Good Evening my brother or sister in Christ!, thank you so much for visiting me. I have a treasure trove of info on Purgatory I will link you here and of course if you have any other questions on Purgatory I’d love to hear back! My asks are always open. That link includes all the texts from what the Catholic Church teaches about Purgatory right from one of our books called the Catechism. I’ve also included my favorite talks on Purgatory by priests and even a course you can take if you want a real theology deep dive. Although the Bible doesn’t directly mention Purgatory, the Catholic Church believes it must exist because no one can enter Heaven without first being cleansed of all their sin. Think of Purgatory as a place of purification.

Now as for offering up our suffering, we must first recognize that pain in itself is a gift. That might sound strange, but, when we unite our pain with Jesus who suffered on the cross to die for us, we can lift up our heart to God and say that we want to offer our pain or deed to lessen the pain of someone suffering in Purgatory. When we do this, it will help push that person/people faster into Heaven (the amount of people and time is not known to us right now).

You can offer up pretty much any pain or action (no matter how little it may seem) to lessen the suffering of souls in Purgatory. Pain for example: the moment you realize you get a paper cut, accidentally stubbing your toe on the coffee table, a migraine, arthritis, going through chemotherapy and radiation for cancer, fibromyalgia, etc, etc.

Good deeds, for example: cleaning your room, helping mom and dad to clean up after a party without being asked to help, picking up a piece of trash outside and throwing it away properly, picking up a fallen pencil from your desk, organizing a cluttered bookshelf, holding the door open for someone, help someone across the street, etc, etc.

Since God is outside of time, He can use your prayers for so many in Purgatory that you’ll never would even expect. You can help your family get to Heaven faster. You can read a prayer already printed or make one up from your heart to offer up that particular good deed or pain. No matter how old you are, no matter your personal disposition if you are disabled or abled bodied, you can make a difference. May God bless you!

[dcxdpdabbles]

DC x DP: Magic Older Brother

It happens the day of his high school graduation because Casper High is cursed, and the curse personally targets Danny. Danny doesn't care what anyone says. He will die on that hill.

The school is cursed, which is why he turned into a halfa in his freshmen year, throwing his life into chaos all throughout sophomore and junior year, and now that he was finally leaving it, this happens.

An attack by a ghost he has never seen or met before. She calls herself "Lady Gotham," and her name doesn't hint at her power or obsession, unlike other ghosts.

He finds it rather rude of her to burst the graduation ceremony just as they called his name.

Danny knew he could take her- she felt more like a city spirit than a ghost, which means she was terribly weak against Phantom- but with so many witnesses, he hadn't been able to transform. Instead, he was blasted with black tar paste that reverted him to the age of ten, and while he stumbled on tiny legs, she took him and threw him into a portal.

He had attempted to shift into his ghost side as soon as he landed, but something was anchoring his core. It felt like he had been hit with the Plasmius Maximus- his powers were out of reach.

He would not be able to take her in a fight after all.

Thankfully, she had been distracted by his parents attempting to rescue him, so she got trapped on the other side of the portal. Still, he felt it would be safer to get as far away from the random field she kidnapped him to before she could return.

So he was running in an unknown storm, to an unknown location from an unknown city spirit instead of having his graduation party with his friends and eating cake.

"Casper High just couldn't give up even on the last day," Danny grumbles while running through the pouring rain of a terrible storm, trying to see through the water and the howling wind. He was drenched head to toe in the water, and he could feel even his bones shaking. He hasn't been this cold since the day his Ice core materialized.

Up ahead, he spots a building. Praying they will take pity on him, he pushes himself to go faster until he's at the door, banging on it with his tiny fists.

"Is someone there? I need help!" He yells as the wind picks up again, almost throwing Danny off balance. "Open the door, please!"

The door cracks open, and one tiny blue eye peeks up at him briefly before it swings open. "Come in! Hurry!"

Danny doesn't need to be told twice as he all but throws himself into the giant building, away from what he is starting to suspect is a hurricane. He turns around to find a little boy- he couldn't be older than nine- struggling with closing the garage door. Danny is quick to help him, and together, after tucking and grunting, they get it shut.

"Thanks," Danny says trying to gather his breath. He glances around, startled to see he's in a big fancy house that reeks of money, maybe more than Vlad or Sam. It is also deadly silent and bare as if someone only attempted to make it look lived-in but forgot to get humans.

"Don't mention it." The kid says almost under his breath. Danny would think of him as shy if the boy wasn't staring at him without so much as blinking.

Kind of creepy.

"Are you here because of my poster?" The kid asks, and Danny has no idea what he's talking about, but he's not about to make the creepy kid angry.

"Sure am."

The boy beams. "This is the first time anyone has responded! Come this way. I have everything in the main ballroom!"

Danny follows eyes taking in all the tasteful decor of various cultures and the complete lack of any other person present. After getting stranded, he found a mansion tucked away from human contact in search of shelter. Strange how that has happened to him twice

The boy leads him to two large double doors which he proudly opens up with a loud "Ta-da!"

Inside the ballroom are rows and rows of bed cots, blankets, and pillows. On one side of the room are tables with water bottles, bowls of snacks, and even little goodie bags. There are board games on a nearby table and clothes folded neatly in various sizes. Next to the tables are piles of teddy bears.

It looks like a movie set of a makeshift shelter that could easily fit a hundred people. Again there is no one else but them. Double creepy.

The boy skips between the first two cots, gesturing to the room. "You're the first one here, so you can first pick! I have board games, food, and clothes for you to burrow at the front if you want! I'm sure we'll have more people soon if you come!"

Danny offers the kids a weak smile. "Thanks."

"You're welcome! I'll go wait for everyone at the door. You make yourself comfortable."

While Danny cautiously explores, the kid races back to wait at the door for who knows who. The first thing he does is change into a warm set of clothes- picking a grey set of sweat pants and long sleeve that fits his tiny limbs. He grabs a water bottle and a bag of chips before his eyes land on a pile of brightly colored posters, likely forgotten on the table.

Strom Shelter for free at Drak Mansion

Everyone Welcome!

Sleeping, clothes, food and entertainment are provided!

Kids are invited to Tim Drake's birthday party on the same night!

Doors open at 5pm.

Oh gosh. Oh no.

He looks around the completely empty room and, for the first time, notices a small corner with a very sad "Happy Birthday" banner and a few party hats. At the edge of the table sits a folded half-sheet cake with a lopsided candle in the shape of a nine.

Above that little corner is a large clock that reads ten o'clock.

He puts his things down on a random cot, carefully returning to the front door where the little boy- he assumes Tim Drake- is waiting. He's leaning back and forth on his feet, and Danny can barely pick up his soft words.

"It's okay; they're all just really late. One person came this time so more could be on their way! Don't be sad, Tim. Things are looking up!"

Bless his heart.

Danny tries to reach for his ghost powers and grins when his ice core responds. He glances back at the little boy before he slips into the ballroom. He quickly re-decorates the party corner using his ice, making it look like actual decorations.

He even goes out of his way to open bottles of colored juices- he doubts anyone would drink them- and freezes the liquid so it adds a bit of color to the room. He's left with a winter wonderland with ice sculptures of animals- kids like animals, right?- and he gathers a birthday boy.

"Hey, Tim?"

The kid hurries to his side. "Yes? Did you need something?"

"Yeah, I need the birthday boy to cut his cake!"

Danny strong-arms the kid into the room and is delighted by the absolute happiness that blooms over the boy's face once he sees the room. "Wow! Did you do this?"

"Sure did, kid."

"Are you a wizard like Harry Potter?" The boy asks, and Danny has no idea who that is, but he nods anyway. Maybe it's this world's version of Santa Claus? Who is he to deny the kid's sense of wonder.

"Don't tell anyone." He says with a wink.

"But-But- but I'm a muggle!" The boy cries, suddenly horrified. Danny wonders if that's a slur, and if so, he won't allow him to use it to describe himself with it. "You'll get in trouble for using magic before me!"

"Why?"

"Cause muggles can't know about magic unless they are family! They'll throw you in Azkaban!"

Ugh, okay, he can work with that. "Well, I guess this makes us brothers, doesn't it?"

Tim's eyes practically pop right out of his skull. "Really?!

"Yeah, I'll be your big brother. My name is Danny and we can do something you always wanted to do for your birthday. How does that sound?"

"We can do....anything?"

"It depends on what you want to do, as long as it's legal and safe."

"Will.....you read me a bedtime story? I always wanted to know what that's like."

Danny's heart shatters. "Sure of course. What book do you want to read?"

Tim's face goes slightly pink. "The new Harry Potter book just came out. The goblet of fire? Can we read that?"

Oh, so Harry Potter is a book series! "Sure, Tim. Let's cut the cake and then we can pick a cot to pile blankets on to snuggle down and read."

Danny had never seen a kid look so happy in his life "Okay!"

Later, as Tim is tucked into the crook of his neck and shoulder, fast asleep after the exciting chapter of Harry Potter outflying a dragon Danny is visited by Lady Gotham.

It is only because Tim is too comfortable that he doesn't start swinging at her. She explains Tim's life and the obvious neglect before she bends down until her forehead touches the ground and begs Danny to care for him in her stead.

By morning, the Drakes suddenly acquire a new family member, and no one notices how he appeared overnight, but he's in the system, and no one can fault the documents. Lady Gotham made them herself.

[shadowbriar]

Five Hargreeves - Back To You

Pairing : Five Hargreeves x (she/her) Reader Word Count : 2.8k Warning : Angst. Season 4 references. Synopsis : After one too many subway trips, Five's plan of temporal refuge extended as he met someone he refuse to lose. Notes : I refuse to acknowledge what happened in Episode 5 and 6 though I use the gif of said episodes. Don't come at me if you don't agree. If you like this story and would like to support me, please visit my kofi page and perhaps get me a coffee?☕

Living in a small cottage by the lake has never been in his cards. To settle down and watch the sun sets everyday, hearing the rocking chair creak as he takes a sip of his coffee. This was beyond anything he could ever hoped for, anything he could afford. He knew that this wasn’t the life he’s supposed to lead. Lord, this wasn’t even a life he owns to begin with. But with each second passed in this universe, Five finds it hard to drag himself back to that subway and return to his own timeline.

“Enjoying the scenery, are we?” She whispers as she sits on his lap, clinging her arms around his neck “You know, I could really use the help stuffing that chicken. It is afterall your special request.”

The boy raised an eyebrow, “Shouldn’t I be off of any chores since it is my special request?”

“Just because it’s your birthday, doesn’t mean you’re having a vacation, big guy,” She reasoned “We’ve only got two hands and this house is only getting bigger than smaller.”

The boy couldn’t bite his grin when he leaned in to kiss her. His heart swells. She was right. The house feels like it’s growing along with them. They might not have much, certainly far from the wealth his father possesses, but it was much more than enough. Having her was much more than enough.

“You know that I love you, right?” Five asks as he pulls away, his left hand still cupping her cheek as his thumb caresses her gently.

“I know,” She nods, smiling “But you can’t sweet talk your way out of kitchen duty, Mister.”

Five chuckles, standing from his seat as he carried her in his arms, “Alright, Missy, let’s see what this chicken fuss is all about.”

—-

The muscles on his cheeks were aching but he couldn’t fight the need to grin as wide as he could. He was happy, watching her carry that awful looking cake out of the oven. The icing that supposedly spelled ‘happy birthday’ was crooked, its colour pale compared to the bright fondant covering it. Thank God the candles were their only source of light, otherwise she wouldn’t even bring it out, he reckons.

“It’s ugly, I know,” She says as she lets it rest on the table “But it tastes better than it looks, I promise.”

Five shakes his head, disagreeing with her discouraging comments as he steals a kiss, “It’s perfect.”

“Well, go on and make a wish!”

The boy closes his eyes. His hands holding hers as he whispers his wish: I wish for this to last forever. Her squeals of excitement was music to his ears as he blew the candles. It is indeed the best birthday of his life.

“I’d ask but I know you wouldn’t tell me your wish.”

“Who said I made any wish?”

“You did,” She says as she helps him cut the cake “You make that little frown everytime you say your little prayer, do you know that?”

“I don’t pray, Love.”

“You do. Well, not religiously, but sometimes you do. You say your little prayer, your hopes. You whisper them sometimes, but most times you just close your eyes and do that little frown thing.”

Five raised an eyebrow, “Have you been watching me?”

“I might,” She teases “I mean who wouldn’t watch such a handsome man like you?”

The night continues as the couple finishes their dinner. Fulfilled would be such an understatement for what he feels right now. Everything he ever wanted, everything he ever dreamed of, is served right in that room. He wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world.

“So can I take a guess about what you wished for?”

“Really, Love?” He asked, putting down his glass of wine.

She shrugs, “We’ve talked about everything else, haven’t we?”

“You know, there’s a belief that if you say your prayers, it won’t happen.”

“Well, you’re not saying what it was, I’m just taking a guess what it’s about.” She argues, still persistent “And what’s so bad with it not happening? Do you really want it that bad?”

“I— Nothing, I just don’t—”

“What is it that you could wish for? What is it that you don’t have?”

“Nothing, I’m not saying that I want anything, I just—”

“Is it your family?”

Five pauses. It was as if he was stupefied. He hadn’t thought about his family in a while. Shameful of him, sure, but after one too many subway trips, he figured that a little rest shouldn’t be so bad. He just had to find a timeline where there weren't that many people shooting at him. Perhaps take a week or two to rest and gather his strength before jumping into another subway.

It just had to be her. The girl he bumped into right after he got out of the station. He remembers vividly the concerned look on her face when she saw him. He was littered with bruises, dirt and dust covering his body. He looked more like trouble than a lover yet she still found it in her heart to ask if he needed any help.

And here he was, feeling the happiness in his heart wither as the thought of his family returned to his consciousness. He knew that the universe is cruel, that he couldn’t have the best of both worlds in this lifetime, that he had to choose between his lover or his family. Some nights he wonders if his family had succeeded in preventing another apocalypse without him. Some nights he wonders if his family had found a way to another timeline. Some nights he wonders if his family were still alive. But most nights he tried his best to ignore these wonders. His family must have found a way to stop the apocalypse, or at least escape another one.

Taking a deep breath, Five reaches for her hands. Guilt and regret were evident on her face. He knew that she didn’t mean to sound as cruel. Perhaps it was the wine that made their blood more sensitive or that the fatigue of the day had clouded their minds. Either way he knew that they both would be sorry when the morning came.

“I love you,” He starts gently “I love you more than anything in this and every timeline.”

A tear left her eye. It was painful. To love someone you know doesn’t belong to you. To desperately grasp into the moments you knew would end anytime soon. To selfishly stay in a relationship that was doom from the start. Neither of them deserved this, yet neither of them wanted to let go.

“It’s been six years, Five,” She reasoned “As much as I love you.. We can’t keep living like this.”

“Time works differently there, my love. Six years here might only mean a couple hours there.”

“That doesn’t make it any less wrong for you to stay. Those couple hours might be the most crucial hours for your family. They might be fighting for their lives right now, they might be dying, for all we know! You need to come back to them, Five. You have to.”

Five forces a laugh, “Wait, what are you saying?”

She remained silent. Her tears were falling, biting her lips to conceal her tremble. A bitter feeling is brewing in his stomach now.

“Your family needs you and—”

“Okay, stop,” He stood from his seat with an offended look “Are you breaking up with me? On my birthday?”

She looks away, unable to meet his eyes.

“Goodness, you can’t be serious.”

“What choice do we have, Five? One way or another, you’d have to go back to your family. They need you—”

“And you? You don’t need me anymore?”

Her jaw clenches, “That’s beside the point.”

“No, that is the whole point, actually,” He argues, this time coming close to her “I love you, alright? Why is it so wrong for me to want to be with the person that I love? I’ve lived more than a lifetime alone, why can’t I have someone for once?”

“You don’t belong in this timeline. I—”

“I belong with you,” He cuts in “It’s not the timeline that matters, it’s where you are. I belong with you.”

If there’s anything she loves most about Five other than his gentle and caring nature towards her, it would be how adamant he is once he’s set his mind into something. There’s no doubt in her heart about the genuinity of his words. But as much as she’s grateful and touched over it, she knew that they could only spend so long before the guilt eats them whole.

She lets go of his hands softly, placing them on his cheeks instead. She admires him. The beautiful man that’s now standing in front of her with his heart on his sleeves, announcing his devotion to her on the day when he’s supposed to be the one showered with attention and love. His eyes were glossy, clearly conflicted.

“I love you, Five,” She whispers, gently caressing his skin as if it was their last goodbye “But I can’t keep you here, I can’t. I can’t keep you from your family.”

Five looks defeated, silent.

“Don’t you want to know what happened to them? If they’re okay? If they’ve figured out how to stop the apocalypse? Don’t you want to know?”

“I— I don’t know.” He answers “What I know is that I want to be with you.”

“I’ll always be with you, Love,” She reassures, kissing his cheek “I might not understand how this whole different timelines work, but I know that whichever timeline it is, whatever universe we live in, I will always belong to you. I will always be with you.”

And he finally cries. His tears flowing and wetting her palms. His heart shatters, finally succumbing to the guilt he’s tried so hard to bury and forget. He misses his family, he wanted so badly to get back and pick up where he left off, but would it be worth it? Would leaving everything here be worth it? Would leaving her be worth it?

“We’ll find our way,” She reassures, pulling the broken man into her embrace “You’ll find me in your timeline. Maybe we’ll meet at the grocery store, or at a bar, or perhaps at another train station.”

Five chuckles a little, letting a shaky breath as he asks, “And if we don’t?”

“We will,” She says firmly, giving a little space between them so they could gaze into each other’s face “I’m too much of a troublemaker and you’re too much of a problem solver for us to not meet. It’ll be too hard to ignore each other with our nature, Love. We’re bound to meet each other, in any timeline, in any universe. Trust me.”

The boy forces a smile. He leans in, kissing his lover gently as if she’d burst into petals if he pushed too much. Her hold around his neck feels different. Like she wasn’t looking for support but giving one instead. He could feel her trembling a little as his hands pulled her closer by the waist. Her heart is breaking too, as much as his is, but they knew that it’s inevitable. It’s only a matter of time before time pulls them apart and it certainly would be much more painful then.

“I’ll find you,” He whispers “I promise.”

—-

Canada is certainly much colder than home. Five rubs his hands and blows some air to his palms in hope to gain some warmth, but it’s obvious that the only comfort he’ll find in this weather is to get in Viktor’s bar and ask for some drink. That is, if Diego could start the car and get them going.

“It says here that Viktor’s bar is only five minutes by foot,” Klaus says “Who wants to run to the bar with me?”

“No one is getting out of this car!” Diego says in frustration, irritatedly trying his best to start the engine “We’re going to get to his bar together, in this car. That’s the whole point of a family road trip. We go to the bar by car, not by foot!”

“Yes, but it’s freezing here, Diego! The heater is not even on!” Alison argues.

“Well, it won’t be unless the engine is on.”

“No shit, Luther,” Ben says “I vote to run.”

Lila raises her hand, “Second to run.”

“No! No one is getting out of this car!” Diego yells once more, hitting the steering wheel frustratedly “I just need to—”

And by God’s miracle, the engine turns back on. Though their trip would soon reach its main destination, the bicker done by the family persists. The coldness of Canadian weather and how the heater broke almost twenty kilometres ago has made the seven heads’ temper raise. They really need to get to Viktor’s bar before they start to kill each other.

“I’m out of here,” Five announce as the car gets into the parking space of the bar. He space jumped inside, finding himself on one of the empty stools “Good to see you, Viktor.”

“Five,” VIktor greets, a little startled but his smile grows “You’re here. Where are the others?”

“Still figuring their way out to get here. Can I get whiskey on rocks?”

“On it.”

Five taps on the wooden table as he waits for his drink. His heart was content, as much as it might mean now. Their plan to stop the apocalypse worked. Viktor managed to take the marigold off of Ben before the Cleanse happened and now they’re trying to get back or rebuild their life. For once they finally managed to stop the apocalypse from happening.

Right after they succeeded in preventing the cleanse, Five found himself running to the subway station. He could still feel his feet burning from how fast he tried to get back to the station, wanting to jump in the train and go back to her timeline, but once he got there, the station vanished. There was no trace of it, no matter how many times he tried to run around and look for it. The subway is gone. She is gone.

Perhaps it was the price he has to pay for saving the universe. One’s happiness in exchange for the lives of millions doesn’t seem to be a hard sacrifice to make, but it’s still a tough pill for him to swallow. He knew that she would be proud. That she would hug and kiss him for doing all the hard work in saving the world. But the more he thinks about it, the more it stings for such touch would only be as good as a dream now.

“You ordered whiskey on rocks?” A voice asked, breaking his train of thoughts.

Five’s mouth went agape. He couldn’t tell if he was daydreaming or if this was some sick new power he gained from the marigold, but she was there. Standing right in front of him with a glass of whiskey in her hand.

“Viktor said his brother ordered whiskey on rocks, I assume that’s you?”

“I— Uh, yes,” He stammers, getting off the stool “You’re here.”

Five couldn’t believe his eyes. In his heart he knew that they would meet again, that somehow the universe would let him keep both her and his family, but he never expected that it was true. He never expected that he would meet her again. Not this fast, not this way.

“Sorry?” She asks, raising an eyebrow “Are you okay?”

“Y-Yes. Yes, I’m fine,” Five said, shaking his head and taking the glass “Thank you.”

The girl smiles. It was a different smile than what he’s used to seeing. There wasn’t much love in her eyes, but he wasn’t in the position to complain. The girl he’s staring at and his lover might be the same person but she’s yet to know him here. She’s yet to know that he’s hers. She’s yet to know that he loves her. She’s yet to know that he belongs to her.

“Sorry, but have we met before?” She asks, still staring back at him “You look very familiar.”

“Uh, no, I don’t think so,” He lied, offering his hand “I’m Five. Five Hargreeves. Viktor’s brother.”

She took his hand, telling him her name, “I didn’t know Viktor had a baby brother.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not really his baby brother. It’s— It’s complicated.” Five could feel his cheeks burning like a little boy, bashful “It’s a long story.”

“You mind telling me about it?” She asks, leaning on the table “I’ve got time. I love hearing stories.”

“I know you do,” He says with a big smile “Well, where do I start..”

[gfmima]

category : 米哈游 原神 work title : “love bites”? more like, love does bite, eh?

humiliating. mortifying. there’s no other way to describe the sight of the nation’s number one detective, self-proclaimed, moseying down the city’s main thoroughfares in the middle of his work break. it was tough to figure out if he was simply aloof or ignorant of his surroundings.

bystanders gasp in shock as heads turn to look at the awful sight of him.

the icing on the cake was how he wore them in pride, as if it was a medal of honor he had won by merit. his little idiosyncrasies were expected by the residents of narukami island and his agreeable personality made it easier to bear, though this was going too far.

heizō’s flagrant show of what transpired on your late-night rendezvous prompted a wide range of responses. some were indifferent, others were downright scandalized by how shameless he was to carry himself in broad daylight… there are children here!

the elder citizens clutch their sango pearls in horror. what a time to be alive! a member of the tenryou commission had chosen to roam the streets while flaunting such blue marks littered all over his neck with great delight.

“oh, may the almighty raiden shogun have mercy on us all,” a graying woman prays to herself, wise eyes turn shut after the quick show of his bruised skin when he strides past her in the direction of the komore teahouse.

“celestia knows we need it.”

the highly esteemed tengu kujou sara thought of chastising him for his less than savory appearance once she caught wind of the snickering in the background. it was considered dishonorable to the kujou clan after all, a giant offense even. however, she was at a loss for words; too embarrassed over the suggestive nature of these blemishes.

hence, she placed the burden onto you instead.

wonderful.

“darling…”

“lovely…”

“light of my life? fine. i can speak for the two of us anyway,” heizō puffs his cheeks then sighs out loud, “in all honesty, i don’t understand why i’m the bad guy here. i didn’t do anything wrong?!” he shakes his head. “i’m willing to argue this goes against protocol since it involves my personal life and—HUH?”

your hands planted on either side of his face, squishing it to stop him from rambling on and on and on.

“heizou?”

“hmph?”

“shut up.”

you lean back to study your work.

he was very lucky you decided to bring your hand kinchaku today. without it, he would’ve been out of commission for a day or two. and although the beauty product failed to properly conceal the love bites, it did a pretty decent job. it was now impossible to see unless you squinted.

“please stop making this more difficult than it should be.” 

“b-but! why would you wish to conceal the evidence of your love for me?” you roll your eyes. how dramatic. heizou stares at you with a pitiful yet endearing look of desperation on his face. “it ISN’T noticeable, in fact, much of it is hidden by my collar.”

“don’t care, you’re the tenryou commission detective,”  you mumble, refusing to succumb to his request no matter how cutely he refutes the comments about his public indecency. “it’s inappropriate for you to come to work looking like this.”

“well, you weren’t thinking that last n—OUCH!” he pulls out the theatrics, massaging the spot you pinched with the sulk of sulkiest pout known to mankind. “it was the truth!”

a nosy architect observes and gives him a quick once-over, “i see you’ve woken up on the right side of the bed today.”

wanderer scoffs at him then returns his focus to the grand sage’s discussion with you on the akademiya’s renovation plans to accommodate more students by supplying better facilities. his gaze lingers on you instead, and kaveh wasn’t blind to his actions.

from the moment you stepped inside the room together, he sensed a change in the air. it was… eye-opening? to say the least.

he overheard the personal aid of lesser lord kusanali wasn’t the most pleasant of companions, yet you enter with a coy expression, which is rare for the recently elected sage of the rtawahist darshan.

“oh?”

kaveh draws his bottom lip between his teeth. it was fun to see the infamous man grow increasingly irritated by his inquisitive stare. “there is no need to get defensive. i’m not interested in what you and the new sage do in your outside of work… especially when you two are consenting adults.”

wanderer glares.

“right side of your face, below your ear.”

in an attempt to be as invisible to the naked eye as possible, he cranes his head downward in hopes that his hat obscures his face as he checks his reflection on the smooth marble flooring to figure out what the nosy blond was going on about.

upon seeing what he did, heat rushed into his system and dusted his cheeks.

the moron was telling the truth, he inwardly scoffs; a faint bruise paints his neck directly below his ear, leaving little to no room for interpretation.

it was loud and clear.

wanderer was thrown off his balance by its presence that he was hardly able to react to the architect’s snickering next to him. no number of years in this world could’ve prepared him for this tricky situation.

(he secretly adored it!)

he appreciated the lengths you went to let him understand how much you wanted him, desired him, but my goodness, couldn’t you have chosen a less noticeable part of his body?

perhaps his lower stomach?

maybe even his chest area?

there was no saving him now… he spent his morning hiking through the streets tending to nahida’s errands like checking on the welfare of its citizens, so he was hilariously late on conjuring up a fool-proof plan to hide it.

everyone and their mother saw it by now. he could only pray the opposite happened for the young archon.

he was abruptly removed from his thoughts by the sound of you bidding alhaitham farewell; doe-like eyes make contact with his wordless agreement to meet one another in private after the this.

he didn’t want to be too obvious, so he waited for everyone to finish their business and leave before he moved, thinking he could walk away scot-free.

alas, he spoke too soon.

“have a wonderful evening, my friend!” kaveh greets loud enough for many heads to turn and stare at him curiously.

he was definitely going to have a word with nahida about the grand sage’s associate.

[py-dreamer]

Ooop- so it's almost mid september...

Y'know what that means?

Yea so we have a return of the stickers!!!

Well less stickers and kinda whatever this is Ig

Don't get me wrong I'm still super proud of it! I suppose it was meant to be like stickers from last year but it kinda escalated and sort off got a wee bit out of hand...

...just a tad bit...

Woooh! So anyone who's in the KNY hotpot might recognize this style and yes I did basically use the KNY birthday art format but COME ON!!!

IT'S SO CUTE!!!

LOOK AT MAH BOIII SITTING ON THAT CAKE!!!

I JUST WANNA NOM BIG BITE!!!

(If you can't tell I do really like this cake art)

I promise this time it is really 10 days till my actual birthday unlike the whoopsie 11 I did last year -_-'

And I know it's not Mk's birthday even though it looks like it is, I know. But it's the bloody format of the art and Idk how else to change it. Besides I think they slay in those birthday outfits.

And it was fun to do my sticker style in a bigger thing!

But Idk if it's cause I haven't touched my bloody stylus in ages or I've been swimming in the KNY hotpot for too long BUT WHY WAS MK'S FACE SO HARD TO DRAW FROM THE FRONT VIEW!!!

I HAD TO COMPROMISE, MANS LOOKING TOWARDS THE SIDE!!!! LIKE XIAOTIAN I LOVE YOU AND WANT TO SQUEEZE THEM CUTE LIL CHEEKS OF YOURS BUT WHY ARE YOU SO HARD TO DRAW FROM THE FRONT!??!?

HE LOOKED LIKE A BLOODY CAT WITH SLIT EYES Y'ALL!!!

Oml...regardless, I did have a lot of fun with this and had lots of fun with the decorations and such. If you were here last year, your keen memory and astute eye might notice that the cake is the same cake I used in the 'shenanigans in space' birthday stickers I did last year!

@leesbian42, @cats-and-confusion remember that lol?

So the tiny memory flower thing and star candies are an homage to that :)

(btw, pssttt @emerialyncodevenice I know we haven't talked in a while but you mentioned that you liked the bloomin cake and was thinking of using it. Feel free to use this if you like, Idk how just credit me m'kay?)

But anyways, if y'all wanna use this pic, again. Pls credit me.

AND NO REPOSTING PLEASE!!!

The decorations are meant to be sugar cookies and idk what the icing is. Since I'm thinking more of an east asian fruit cake (those really really soft fluffy spongy ones) I was thinking more like light yellow dyed whipping cream and less buttercream.

Maybe even some kinda custard Idk...(does custard go well with cake?)

The orange chunks are meant to be like mango balls or chunks and hopefully the red thingys in the middle read across as strawberries

I had to include the Monkey king plush, he's just so little!

I was tempted to draw in the other characters as plushies since they are as important to MK probably but it's getting late and I'd already been working on this baby for like 3 hours already.

All in all, I do really like this and ngl, pray this doesn't flop.

I know my single stickers don't always do well but pls y'all I like this very much...

It is nice to compare this year's work and last year and I am proud to say I have improved at least somewhat

And as for why I rarely post, well I've gotten back from my holiday but sadly I'm at that age where work and stuff will be my main focus for the time being.

Got a lot of assignments and tests y'know...

(hell I have one due the 17th and tests to do tomorrow and here I am faffing on about legos on tumblr)

And like I said, I have been blipping and dabbing in demon slayer, read a lot more KNY fics lately (I actually have a mini sketch of kamaboko squad as hashiras, heavily inspired off of other designs but even so-, if I'm in the mood I might post that!)

But enough yapping, I'll try my best to keep up this 10 days thing

(if you don't know up till my birthday for 10 days I try to post a sticker or thingy like this one)

no promises since I am busier this year but this was a lot of fun so you'll definitely see some stuff.

(I just realized I have to keep up this level of detail in my other stuff T^T save meeeeeee plsssss)

[cybsoo2]

happy birthday hope

╰┈➤ synopsis — Hoseok has hope that you're finally beginning to share the same love he has for you. His birthday is a chance for a fresh start, but it doesn't exactly end up the way he wishes.

╰┈➤ pairing —yandere!j-hope x reader

╰┈➤ word count — 1.2k

╰┈➤ content warning — SPOILER!!! yandere behavior, poisoning

ੈ✩‧₊˚ note ; HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO HOBI!! MY BIRTHDAY TWIN! AHHH I CAN’T WAIT TILL HE COMES BACK HOME!! (also this is a little late)

“Wake up, Hobi! Wake up!” A cheerful shout stirs him out of his sleep. Hoseok’s dreamland drifts away as he wakes up to reality. He blinks back the burden of sleep before opening his eyes to see the sun. 

You’re sitting at his side, leaning slightly over him. Your hair hangs over your smile, but Hobi can recognize the sweet sight even if he was blind in a black room.

“Happy birthday, Hobi!” Enthusiasm leaks from your lips and Hoseok can’t help but to bare his own grin in return. He reaches his hand up to expose your excitement, brushing your hair out of the way and cradling your cheek. He makes a move to hold you closer, but you brush him off and hop off the bed. “Didn’t you hear me?” You tilt your head the tiniest bit, amused by his dazed appearance. “I said it’s your birthday. Aren’t you excited?” 

Hoseok takes hold of the alarm clock on his nightstand and turns it to face him. The blinding blue numbers stare back at him: 12:01am. 

You chase the cold wind as you walk out of the room. Hoseok is quick to follow after snatching a blanket off the bed and winding it around you. The constricting cover wraps around you like a noose, but you hide the hurtful truth from him; keeping a smile on his face is your main motive at the moment. 

You take the steps in twos, an impatient air in your movements. You turn back to the boy that lags behind, taking his hand and tugging him towards you. Hoseok obeys so easily and lets you poke and prod at him until he sits still at the kitchen table with your hands held over his eyes. 

Hobi lifts his hand up, pulling apart your fingers to take a peek at whatever surprise stays hidden. You’re quick to grab his hands and place them properly in front of his face.

“Don’t peek,” you say sternly in his ear. “You’ll ruin the surprise before it’s ready.” Truthfully, Hobi isn’t too impatient to see the surprise, he only hoped you would hold his hand if he decided to trigger a little trouble. 

Hobi then submits to your scolding and continues playing the puppet in your play. It’s obvious you’ve got something important planned, with your tense touches and the haste words you hum. His head feels feverish from the burning blush that takes hold of him. He’s dizzy with delusions of what sweet surprise his sunshine has hidden behind her back. 

“Your eyes are still closed right?” Your voice is distant, crawling out of the corners of the kitchen. Hoseok hums in agreement and he hears your footsteps coming closer. You stop in front of him and he can picture exactly how you look in his head. A playful smile prying at your lips, the surprise held in your hands, and eyes that shine down on him like the sun. He starts to squirm in his seat at the sensation of you so near. A chill crawls up his spine. Your breath trails down his face, coming to stop at the shell of his ear.

“Sit still.” A stilted silence tumbles off his tongue. His muscles begin to melt at your words, leaving him a pathetic puddle in your palms. A selfish sound tells him to reach out and touch you; to take your hips and harvest the heat that falls off your body. Yet he keeps himself composed and lets you take the lead. He’s prayed too much for his passion to be shared by his soulmate and he won’t let his greed give it all away. 

You lay your lips upon his, giving him a taste of a kiss that could kill. It’s only a soft peck on his skin, yet Hoseok feels a fire that sets his body ablaze. A cold coat of icing also arrives on his lips. You’ve given him a tempting taste of a cake crafted just by you. When he licks his lips to swallow the sugar, he comes to the conclusion that it’s the second sweetest thing he’s ever tasted (Only narrowly falling behind the taste of your chaste kiss). He chases your lips, longing to take and take, until there’s nothing else left for his selfish soul.

“Ah, ah, ah,” You smirk down on him with a teasing tone. “Have a bite of the cake then I’ll give you anything you want.” You balance the cake in both arms and hold it out in front of him. “I worked hard to make it so the least you can do is try it.” 

A burning set of candles are placed on top and you stare at him with anxious eyes.

“So?” You look at him expectantly, “Make a wish already!” Your rushing words bring a little laugh out of him. 

“Why so excited? It’s not even your birthday.” He bites back his smile as he prepares to blow out the candles. Hoseok holds no hesitation when it comes to his birthday wish. A red rose-bud of hope burrows deep in his heart. A hope that you’re beginning to find a place in his home, and a place in his life. All the time spent tortured by your disdain was only a test of his love. Thoughts of a loving life with you tangle themselves into his last wish. 

With a soft smile that never left his lips, he blows out the flames. This loss of light brings an overwhelming darkness to the room. He scoots closer to you in his chair, keeping you company under the overhead light. You shuffle back a bit, instead grabbing the kitchen knife to cut the cake.

“What did you wish for?” You don’t look at him, only focusing on the action at hand. Hobi gazes upon you and falters before he answers. 

“...I wish everyday was as good as this one.” 

You give him a grin, then turn off to the side; hiding the smile that rots off your red lips and falls into a frown. Hiding the hands that shake when you watch him indulge in his innocence. 

He takes his first bite of the pretty pastry and never stops smiling as he does.

Hobi wishes he could savour this moment, to have it imprinted into his head. He wants to take snapshots of your smile and keep them close to his heart: he begs to have you bake for him every day in the future: but most importantly, he craves for your closeness. His hand comes forward clumsily, reaching for your arm, yet it only seems to fall flat. A new sense of confusion consumes him. He reaches out once again, holding out his hand for you to take, but a burden only brings him down. Almost in slow-motion, Hobi stumbles out of his seat and slumps onto the floor. He falls at your knees and forces himself to look up at you. His strength begins to slip as a pale poison pulls at his heartstrings. 

You peer down at the pathetic man fallen at your feet. The shadows suffocate the light, leaving a dusky darkness to sink into your skin. A sad smile takes shape as you see his eyelids slowly shut. You lean down and give him one last lingering kiss.

“Shh, go to sleep now.”  You whisper while he struggles to stay awake. His willpower begins to willow away as the darkness seeps back behind his eyes. As the lights go out, so does his love.

© cybsoo2 2024, all rights reserved

[hjnxx]

HIJINXX_OFFICIAL IS NOW LIVE — MICHA’S BIRTHDAY LIVE

the live opens up to micha sitting in a decorated room with a captain’s hat on her head, surrounded by presents and a simple but charming cake topped off with ‘HBD MICHA!’ written in icing. she stares into the camera as comments roll in, confusion and amusement being the general consensus as she continues to keep silent.

this goes on for a solid three minutes until a comment rolls by that catches her attention. does turning a year older bound you to silence or is the company holding you hostage. blink twice if you need help. the comment makes her snort, sitting forward with her hands folded on the table. “i’m not being held hostage, first of all. though i might as well be. i was fine with the birthday posts and the cute comments and now i have to sit here and talk to people?”

she stares at the camera in disbelief, the comments blurring past with reactions. “but i’ve always been a generous person, and you get to see my face for free. win situation for you, i guess.”

“i turn 24 today. on april 24th. in 2024. isn’t that something? you’d think i’d be lucky today. but i haven’t met anne hathaway so until then. keep your fingers crossed for me.” her own words make her smile briefly, only to be promptly wiped off when she squints at the screen.

“do you have a special someone to spend today with? oh, sure. i have a hot date with my bed right after this. we’re gonna get really comfortable and i’m gonna sleep and dream about starting my own fashion empire.” micha glances down at her cake to comment offhandedly, “this cake looks like its made out of cardboard.”

the comments laugh as she’s silently reprimanded by staff, to which she adds on, “but i didn’t taste it yet–then i’ll truly be able to see if it doesn’t taste like cardboard. aces, pray for my tastebuds.”

she picks up a knife placed next to the cake, cutting a slice out of the dessert to place on a nearby plate. and just as she’s setting down the utensils to taste, a familiar face pops into the screen.

“mimi,” the voice lilts out in a sickly sweet tone, and micha puts down her fork to deadpan at the screen.

yuina’s overjoyed attitude instantly brightens the blunt tone of the live, fans greeting the other member as enthusiastic as she greets them in return. “hi everyone! i just stopped by after spending time in the studio–”

“you knew i was going to go live.”

“–and i heard it was a certain someone’s birthday–”

“i live with you?”

“–and i just wanted to stop by to wish her a happy birthday!!” the younger ends her sentence regardless of micha’s interruptions, singing the last word as she squeezes her into a hug. micha looks half miserable, staring straight into the camera with a look that unmistakably reads ‘kill me now’. her expression only sours even more as yuina begins to sing happy birthday to her with purposely botched vocals, even getting the staff to join as micha looks on.

“oh, there’s even cake!” yuina zeroes in on the dessert once the singing and clapping dies down, examining the plate with a comically quizzical look. “it kind of looks like it’s made out of cardboard.”

“that’s what i s–you know what.” hushed laughter can be heard behind the camera as micha picks up the plate with the slice she had cut earlier, spearing a chunk of it on a fork and holding it up to yuina. “here. taste it.”

yuina happily bites from the fork, chewing thoughtfully as both her in person and live audience wait for her reaction. “it’s kinda decent? wait, give me another piece.”

micha complies with a raised brow, feeding her another piece of the slice. “you better not be faking and eating my cake for me.”

“you’re willingly feeding it to me, though.” micha glares at her halfheartedly as she laughs. “not it’s actually really good! it’s not even dry.”

micha tries the cake for herself, eating the remaining part of the slice, and tilts her head away from the screen with furrowed brows. yuina snorts at her behavior.

“it’s like…” micha breaks off a piece of the main cake to eat again, “weirdly good? the aftertaste isn’t too bad, either.”

“i don’t think this cake is staying in the fridge for three months, either,” yuina quips cheerfully, which makes micha hide a laugh behind her hand. “eunji’s gonna like it a lot.”

“anyway, i’m gonna go now.” yuina waves to the screen as the comments bid her goodbye. “bye aces! make sure you’ve eaten today. i will know.”

micha watches with slight disdain as yuina stares into the camera briefly before she slips out of the room. after she leaves, micha turns to the camera, muttering, “weird.”

after a few more bites and answering questions, swiftly avoiding anything involving music or a comeback, she finally deems it ready to open her presents.

“this one’s from ahyeon,” she starts, her expression visibly softening as she reaches for the gift. tied together with white ribbon, micha brings a basket to the center of the table, setting the cake to the side momentarily. “knowing her, she probably spent hours on this, so. if i see anyone make fun of this gift online, you’re a friendless and loveless loser who has never experienced joy in your life ever. sorry you don’t have people who care about you.”

pulling the wrapping paper open without further comment in front of a now scandalized staff and increasingly delighted fans, the basket contains a multitude of self care and sweet items, from dried flowers and lindt chocolates to candles and a miffy keychain right in view. the comments coo over micha’s reaction to the gift basket, a slight pout on her lips as she pulls out other miscellaneous items.

“i talked to her about this keychain like three months ago…” micha looks genuinely touched, setting the keychain down before briefly looking at the ground briefly. when she does look up, she catches the comment ahyeon is a real life angel, we don’t deserve her at all, voicing her agreement immediately.

yuina’s gift is a bit bigger, a box that nearly obscures her face when she drags it to the center. it makes micha scoff, standing up to tear the wrapping paper off. it doesn’t take long for the comments to figure out what the gift is, the signature detailing on the house shaped box coming into view.

it takes micha a moment to truly take in what’s in front of her, glancing up at the screen briefly in disbelief. she opens the box slowly to pull out a frog plushie in overalls. a brief smile spreads across her lips at the site, setting the plush on the table in camera view.

“it matches her pink one,” is all she says, ignoring as the comments gush over the information. she sets the plush next to the gift basket, reaching for the last gift out of three.

opening the gift, her smile widens as she pulls out a beaded bracelet, white with pink accents with a small tulip charm hanging off. it’s paired with an envelope which she opens, refusing to read the letter out loud. her expression says enough for the fans to know she’s truly touched, her smile genuine.

“she’s been into bracelet making lately, after seeing the fans gift each other some during fan events.” her voice is fond when speaking about the group’s youngest member, adding, “she’s damn near made everyone in the building a bracelet. ateez have matching ones. real cute.”

she puts the bracelet on and shows the live, gently tugging the piece of jewelry around to put the tulip charm in view.

after she sets aside the torn wrapping paper, micha sits down with the frog plush in her arms and the gift basket placed near her cake. “this was fun,” she quips with a slight nod, looking around briefly. “think that’s enough interaction for today. still have a date with my bed that i’m looking forward to, so. bye for now.”

micha waves briefly before the live cuts.

[vyxythepixie]

Amendments (Chapter 8)

Pairing: Loki/Tony Stark Rating: T (Teen) Word Count: 22,085 (total so far) Warnings: None Summary:  When Tony is about to make the ultimate sacrifice, a man who is supposed to be dead saves his life. The future is unwritten and it just got complicated.

READ IT ON AO3 HERE

“They’re just the icing on the cake. You laid the groundwork of your own destruction by inviting Loki into your home. We have been waiting, begging, for you to slip up and show your true self, and Mysterio will show the world the truth. You would risk anyone and everything to control us all. The both of you conspired to make you into the hero you are now. Loki, the perfect monster to elevate you to an Avenger. Who’s to say Thanos was even real? Where was Loki when Earth was attacked all over again? When half the universe vanished? Convenient that you survived, all so that you could supposedly invent time travel and become our saviour. Convenient that he returns to bask alongside you in your glory. There never was a Thanos. He was an illusion you both created. We see you now.”

“You’re insane. You actually think people will buy this bullshit?”

“The truth,” Beck insisted, “and you’re going to ensure it. You’re going to hard reset that suit and wipe everything it’s recorded, because I know it has. You’re going to leave every piece of equipment in here intact and you won’t do a thing to any of us.”

Tony’s repulsors whined as they recharged, brought up to aim at Beck. “Why, pray tell?”

“Because we have a sniper on your daughter right now.”

Tony fired.

[enkisstories]

Hux: "That was the last straw, my dark and edgy little friend. For cowardice in the face of the enemy, you're hereby deposed as Supreme Leader of the First Order!"

Kylo: "So, am I? And what now? Nobody's going to follow YOU! Not even us handful of shipwrecked."

Hux: "I know. But let me introduce you once again to General Dameron here! Dameron conveniently is the second in our command hierarchy, after you had the foresight to demote me yesterday."

Kylo: "What? Dameron? But... that was a scam! You can't depose me and then set a rebel on my throne!"

Hux: "Hail Supreme Leader Dameron!"

Poe: "Scam...?"

Hux: "Ah, sorry. Yes, we had you. After you lost your memory, we filled the gaps in with lies to get you on our side. Consider it payback for D'Qar."

Poe: "I expect a full disclosure over breakfast, Grand-Marshall Hux."

Hux: "Of course, Sir. I have what I wanted and quite frankly, Ren being alive to watch whatever happens next is the icing on my cake."

Poe: "Speaking of... Hand over your weapons, Mister Ren! They'll get returned to you once we figured out whether you are a threat to our organisation or not."

Kylo: "Pray tell, which one would that be? First Order or Resistance?"

Poe: "Until I've heard the full story - BOTH!"

Meanwhile Lt. Agnon seems to have decided to not get involved, lol.

[ustalav]

my friend in our writing discord gave me a prompt from this list and i wrote up a little thing on gideon

🍧 SHAVED ICE - do they still have any objects from their childhood? what significance does it have to them? what would their reaction be if they lost it?

tldr: Yes, a stuffed bunny that belonged to his sister Ophelia. He destroyed it in his first months at the Circle and hasn't been able to forgive himself since.

long answer:

Gideon’s story of how he discovered his magic goes as such: Around the age of 11, he was out supervising his then 4 year old sister, Ophelia (she has her own inqy world state), who wanted to have a picnic by the lake on the Trevelyan estate. She was running ahead and being her crazy toddler self while he was lagging behind carrying all the little things she wanted to bring on their picnic, being especially careful with the raggedy bunny toy that was her ultimate comfort object. The thing she slept with every night, cuddled close.

From a distance, Gideon saw her begin to climb a tree, he yelled out for her to be careful and she called back, in true petulant child fashion, “I am being careful” She climbed up and up and then in slow motion he watched her fall from the tree and crash into the ground. Immediately he dropped everything and sprinted to her, her leg was bent at an uncomfortable angle. He was scared and she was crying and he had no clue what to do. So he reached out to touch her leg, just to assess the damage, but all of a sudden with his touch, it wasn't at that odd angle anymore. For a moment he wasn’t sure what he had done and then it came crashing down on him in a wave of horror. 

All his life he had believed magic to be the curse of the Maker. Of his 3 older brothers, two were Templars and many nights he had prayed to Andraste to keep them safe from Maleficarum. Magic - and the Tevinter Magisters - were what brought the darkspawn and with them the blights. His sister, unaware of his ruminating, was overjoyed and jumped up and hugged him and began chattering away, but he couldn’t pay attention to what she was saying. Her dress was grass-stained and mud and blood was caked onto her legs, so he brought her back to the house. She paused to happily scoop up Bunny on their way back, skipping along as he trodded behind her.

He was still in his silent stupor when they got back. Ophelia tugged on their mother’s skirt and she turned, appalled at the state her dress was in. Before she could reprimand him and Ophelia, his sister squealed, “Mama, I fell and I was bleeding and it hurt so bad, but Gideon! He fixed it! It doesn’t hurt anymore, look!”

His mother seemed to brush her story off at first, but then she noticed the blood on her daughter's knee and the lack of any visible wound. She looked to Gideon, her mouth a thin line, then she turned to the servant posted at the door. “Get Lord Trevelyan, if you will.”

-

That night, Gideon was taken by his brother and father to the Chantry, he was forced to pack his things in a rush but his mother believed it was safer for him to be out of the house and away from the children. The next day he was escorted to the Ostwick Circle of Magi and when he opened his trunk, there was that raggedy bunny lying on top of his hastily packed clothes.

The first month at the Circle was hard. Adjusting to having magic, to never being able to return to his life before, it put him into a severe depression and one day in frustration he burned the toy to ashes. His regret was immediate.

-

Later at Skyhold, he finds a similar toy but less ragged on his bed. 

Cole: Blood, so much blood but then he touched it and it stopped. I shouldn’t have told mother, I sent him away. 

Gideon: This is from you, then?

Cole: Bunny will keep him safe from the bad mages, maybe he can forgive me if she helps. She thought you hated her.

Cole: Alone, a room full of dozens of other apprentices. This magic is a curse, undeserving of softness, all I can do is destroy. It was just a thing, you didn’t destroy it. 

Gideon: It was a moment of weakness, if I could take it back, I would. 

Cole: She still loves you, she wishes you could forgive her.

Gideon: There is nothing to forgive. 

Cole: You should tell her. 

[contralto]

hi. ok. i caved and made a teacher crush blog after months of having feelings for a gay guy twice my age who singlehandedly turned me from lesbian to bisexual and is also my community college voice teacher. he shall be referred to by 💎 from here on out.

call me susie. they/she/he. i'm 26 and i've been in community college for like 7 years on and off. it's complicated but the long and short of it is severe depression plus learning disabilities plus a wholeass plague can really lengthen your time as a student. i also tried a few other majors before this one but they weren't my cup of tea, so in the end i went back to my roots as a musician. not sure if i can hack it as a performer, but for 💎's sake i'm gonna keep trying, because he says he can see me doing great things.

i feel like this image ^ in the teacher crush community cause a lot of y'all are high schoolers and i'm halfway through my twenties. let me tell you, it's a completely different vibe when both parties are grown adults. i had a few (less significant) tcs as a teenager, one as early as middle school, and in retrospect you really really REALLY do not want those feelings to be returned at that age. even now at age 26 it would still be colossally weird if 💎 returned my feelings just cause of like... moral implications and whatnot. but it would not be straight up illegal.

idk where i'm going with this but uhhh. my breaking point for making this blog was that i recently sent an email to 💎 about my mental health-- it started as a "hey i'm gonna be absent today" email and quickly devolved into a "i'm so depressed and scared that the depression will affect me as a student and a performer" email. i got a brief email back offering to set up an appointment with a school counselor for me, and i was worried he had just kind of (uncharacteristically) shrugged off my concerns.

today was different though. i sang a piece of my repertoire in front of 💎 and the other voice students, as you do in studio class, and in return got a METRIC TON of praise about my singing voice from him in front of all the other students-- and a lot of agreement from the other students, too.

after class, just when i thought i was done profusely blushing, he made heart hands 🫶 at me and told me something along the lines of "hey, i got your email, i wanted to tell you all this in person instead of in writing." i guess all that praise was his way of reassuring me that he'll be there for me even when my multitude of issues make things difficult.

icing on the cake though? he offered to talk about the email more over coffee. off campus. we haven't scheduled a day to do that yet, but maybe over the weekend or something? i'll put aside whatever time i need to for him. he's worth it.

if you've read this far all i can really say is "thank you" and also "pray that my dumb ass doesn't accidentally let something slip whenever the coffee meeting happens". byeeeee

[abitofangel]

January 2014

I was happy for once. After December 28 and January 1, my life was peaceful and filled with happiness, but being me, happiness is always short lived.

I called up my crush, let’s hide him under the name, Jasper, excitedly. I was so eager to talk to him, and tell him how much I enjoyed December 28. When he picked up my call he asked why I was calling in a tone as if it was the first time we talked. To cut the long story short, he had a case of selective amnesia. He forgot me, everything we talked about, every “date” we went on. poof gone. It made me heartbroken. One day he talks about the possibility of us being in a relationship then the next, he doesn’t even remember his pet name for me. Ouch right? But that’s not the worst part, noooooo, he makes friends with his ex acting like they were good friends after all the terrible things he did to her. Ugh. I guess, it’s better now. For him at least, but him forgetting who I was, pushed me a little to my suicidal line.

I felt so miserable that I got sick. I didn’t have the energy to study, listen to my peers, or even to play games. I just wanted to lie down on my bed and sleep everything away. My birthday was coming up in 3 weeks and I didn’t feel any sort of excitement for it. I talked to my friend, let’s hide him under the name Matt, about my problems, about how my past was haunting me again, about how I wanted to kill myself. I was so near to it too but then that in the latter of my story. I made a mistake of telling him because it made him sympathetic and he took pity on me and said that he liked me. Now this guy admitted to me once before that he did like me, but my suicidal tendencies made him to believe that he was in love with me. Which he wasn’t. Let’s just say that I made several mistakes in a short span of a week, I drank and did things that I knew was wrong, and everything went spiraling down a tube and within the same week, he left. I felt used. So my suicide seemed more appropriate.

Turns out another guy friend of mine, Jacob, not his real name, admitted as well that he was in love with me. Like I would believe him right? So for one week he continuously texted me, while I gave him the cold shoulder. But then my birthday was coming up in a week and texted something so sweet that my heart melted right into his hands. And there I was again! Hooked on to a guy. I made efforts of going to his school in Las Pinas and I came all the way from Manila and then I would go home to Bicutan. If you know those areas you would see how my effort was. On top of it all, I sprained my ankle while walking in my campus. Yup, I am a first class klutz. But even through that injury I still gave my effort to see him because I feel in love. Hard. He gave me his first kiss. But after his intrams, he left me as well. I was reaching my point of no return, yet with every week that passed, I kept clinging on to something that everything will turn out for the best.

Well, the day came. January 23, 2014. It was a Thursday. I hated it. My friends kept saying that it seemed like I resented my birthday. Well, somehow I did because if I hadn’t been born in the first place then I wouldn’t have to be living this life. The day went on as usual. Morning class, lunch, PE, then we attended youth service at Victory U-belt. During worship, I just poured my heart out. I cried like there was no tomorrow. I felt better. Then my friends surprised me with a cupcake which one of them ate. You would think, “What a jerk!” but hey I was feeling better even though he ate it. Yeah sure I was pissed, but I was quick to forgive. Suddenly from the distance, my best friend came out with a mocha roll cake. It was an awesome surprise. It was a first for me and hopefully not the last. I gave some of my friend a mocha icing facial and we had our fun. When I got home, my father bought me a cake too. My grandfather sang me happy birthday and I felt really better. My thoughts of suicide were brushed away again and I prayed that they would never come back again.

[casspurrjoybell-18]

Mutual Desire - Chapter 8

*Warning - Adult Content*

If there was ever a moment in his life that Damien Clark wanted to miraculously disappear, it was undoubtedly this one. 

It didn't change anything that the man Damien had ‘assaulted’ was out of sight. 

It made no difference that the man still hadn't rose from his chair, stopped the presentation that was taking place at the moment and give Damien the ‘whooping’ of his life for burning him with hot coffee. 

No, it didn't matter. 

What mattered was that Damien sat motionless in the same room as the man, while he had no escape route. 

He couldn't leave, he couldn't do that to Nick. 

Besides, Damien didn't really see where he would have gathered the courage to stand up in front of all these people and walk out. 

So, Damien stayed, while the presentations paraded one by one in front of him. 

After they had presented their project, people didn't leave and they stayed to attend the other exhibitions. 

Damien couldn't say whether it was out of curiosity or out of politeness but Damien cursed internally about it. The last thing he needed was more spectators and to present in front of ‘Mr Jerk Anthony.’

At the end of each presentation, the five intimidated men asked questions and made comments. 

They criticized and didn't hesitate to express their opinion in an arduous way. 

There was only the man Nick had discussed with earlier, who gave favorable feedback that highlighted the presenters' work. 

There was no need to point out that the brutal frankness of the other four men only added to Damien and Nick's nervousness. 

Even Anthony had a taste of their severed honesty but Damien had to admit he managed it pretty well compared to others. 

One of Nick's four female colleagues who was presenting a project gave the impression that she was going to cry after one of the men's sharp comments. 

The grey-eyed man didn't pronounce a single word, emitting any comments on any of the presentations. 

Damien was rather pleased not to hear his voice because it gave the impression that he wasn't present in the room. 

There was only one last presentation left to do and it was Damien and Nick's.

The two friends looked one last time at each other with a nervous smile on their face before getting up slowly. 

Nick put his closed computer in his chair and started walking to the front of the room closely followed by Damien. 

When Damien arrived at the very front of the room and turned to face the crowd, his eyes couldn't help but stumble upon the grey-eyed man who was contemplating him as much. 

Damien quickly diverted his gaze but he had time to see the man sitting casually like a king on his throne, his right foot resting on his left leg. 

Even if the insolent stranger was quit far from him, Damien could nevertheless sense this intimidating aura the man's presence gave off. 

Nick inserted a USB key into the computer and the PowerPoint appeared a few seconds later on the big touch screen. 

Damien went on to turn off the light but stopped walking when two small knocks were heard and the door opened, letting in a beautiful tall blonde who could easily pass for a model.

"I'm sorry to disturb," the blonde began speaking, her eyes going around the room. 

"Mr. Crawford is on the line and would like to speak to you. He says it's very important," she announced nervously, her gaze now directed to the back of the room where ‘Grey Eyes’ was.

Since the blonde's attention was directed to ‘Grey Eyes’ Damien naturally concluded the ‘very important’ call was for him. 

Damien couldn't believe it. 

Was luck really on his side right now? 

Damien prayed the insolent stranger could take the call, so he would leave the room and Damien could have a moment where he could finally breathe properly. 

Damien didn't want to push his luck but it would be the icing on the cake if ‘Grey Eyes’ didn't return after his call.

This would cause him to miss the presentation, though Damien knew these were just unrealistic wishes.

"I can't take the call, right now. I'm busy. They have already waited an hour for me," he replied, in a calm and dry voice.  

Damien didn't know if he was to be a tiny bit delighted that the stranger wasn't as detestable as he had demonstrated it or if he should be saddened, since the man wasn't getting out of the room anytime soon to take the call. 

Damien couldn't tell which feeling was dominating the other.

"You can take the call. We could take a break in the meantime," suggested one of the bald men that Damien found possessed the most severe look out of the five.

"Take a message," ‘Grey Eyes’ said coolly to the blonde, the expression on his face remaining oddly impassive.

"Yes, sir," the blonde replied, with a slight nod that looked more like a little bow.

The blonde left, closing the door behind her. 

The man who suggested the break lowered his head, the severe expression on his face changing into an embarrassment that was difficult to distinguish but that Damien noticed.

"You can begin," ‘Grey-Eyes’ ordered, looking straight at Damien, his voice resonating authoritatively.

Damien didn't like the way his body reacted to the man's hard tone. 

There was already a dead silence in the room but the silence had grown louder when the stranger had answered the blonde. 

In fact, the silence had become even more eerily the moment the grey-eyed man had entered the room. 

He exuded authority, dominance and was the very definition of the word intimidating. 

And that's where Damien finally understood, the stranger wasn't just an investor, as he thought so. 

He was the boss of the company. 

Nick's boss.

Damien tried not to panic about this new information that was taking it,s time to proceed in his head. 

No. This wasn't possible. 

The man was only a mere investor like the other five men, nothing more. 

It could only just be that. 

Damien was reassured that there was no proof the stranger was Nick's boss.

Just like he also have no evidence to the contrary.

Damien dismissed this unpleasant thought to focus on the presentation that was about to begin and that needed to be a total success. 

Damien turned the light off and the room darken, having only the touchscreen as a source of lighting. 

Damien was grateful for this gloomy lighting, which he knew made him fade a little in the background. 

Nick started the presentation, while Damien took charge of changing the slides. 

Damien thanked the heavens he had the screen of the laptop in front of him so he could pretend to be focused on it and not have to watch awkwardly the spectators who were a few meters away from him. 

One in particular. 

Nonetheless, he couldn't help but look from time to time at the grey-eyed man. 

Sometimes Damien"s eyes stayed on him longer than Damien would have liked. 

Damien was incapable to decipher the man's expression whenever he observed him briefly.

Every so often Damien had the impression the man's gaze seemed subtly amused but at other times he appeared expressionless. 

When Damien began to speak for the first time during the presentation, his nervousness suddenly went away. 

Being a teacher, Damien had never had a problem speaking to an audience. 

Teaching was in a way like doing a presentation, so it was all familiar to Damien, who was able to quickly get comfortable as the presentation progressed. 

Damien had the impression of giving a lecture and he managed to make himself believe so and any trace of anxiety left. 

Indeed, it was all mental. 

The presentation started in force and ended as such. 

It went very well and with ease. 

Nick spoke confidently and with the sureness Damien knew so well his best friend possessed. 

His arguments were solid which allowed to demonstrate ingenuously the potential of his software.

Damien had spoken little but when he did, his words were concise, relevant and delivered without stuttering. 

When the presentation arrived at its conclusion, the men began to bombard Nick with questions. 

Nick got off very well, not flabbergasted by the difficult questions and comments he received. 

However, Damien didn't abandon his best friend to his own devices, also responding to a few questions. 

One was when one of the men interrogated the two presenters on why this antivirus software, they had just presented was better than the others on the market. 

This question had frozen Nick who didn't know how to answer without boasting and seeming arrogant. 

Which was a very hard task for him to do. 

Damien took over and seemed to have struck the five men with convincing words. 

Damien’s eloquent speech resembled that of a car salesman mixed with a politician on a campaign trail.

Nick glanced gratefully at Damien, after he disclosed his speech that completed the presentation in style. 

During the course of it, Damien didn't escape ‘Grey Eyes’ cold glances. 

It wasn't a look of hatred or anger. 

Bizarrely, he didn't seem to look irritated. 

His gaze was mysterious or rather the meaning behind it was. 

Damien couldn't really pin it down. 

His eyes didn't leave Damien, not even flinging a single look at Nick for the duration of the presentation. 

Damien felt completely stripped by the man's unreadable stare and tried avoiding locking eyes with him but in vain. 

He was too much attracted to the man's face to even pretend disregarding him.

"One last question," the man wearing glasses said suddenly while the presentation had just ended.

Damien, who went to open the lights, stopped his walk.

"Why is the software named Anter-X?"

The other men, except ‘Grey Eyes’ laughed as well as some of Nick' s colleagues. 

Nick smiled slightly and Damien couldn't help but also smile at this question which couldn't be more bizarre and unexpected from a man with an intimidating look. 

At least, it wasn't a tricky or challenging question to respond to.

"Well...," Nick began speaking, a nervous smile on his face.

More laughs were heard at Nick's hesitation and discomfort. 

Anthony, being one of the laughter. 

‘Grey Eyes’ meanwhile, didn't laugh. 

His face inscrutable and his eyes fixed on Damien. 

Knowing Nick, there was probably a silly reason behind the name of the software which is why Damien assumed why his best friend is nervous to tell it.

"Well," Nick repeated. "There's no..."

"The software is called this way because Nicolas' favorite super-hero is Ant-man and mine is X-man," Damien answered with a smile, going to his best friend's rescue for one last time.

The few laughs that reigned in the room were quickly replaced by louder ones. 

Damien swiftly glanced at ‘Grey Eyes’ to discover a completely neutral expression.

‘No sense of humor I see.’

Damien reopened the lights, while Nick withdrew his USB key from the computer. 

The uncomfortable silence had inevitably returned and Damien didn't know what to do. 

The presentations were all done but nobody seemed to want to move. 

Nick's colleagues sat, wordless, just like the five men who were now writing on some paper sheets. 

Damien concluded the men were noting their impression of the presentation. 

The stranger also seemed occupy, his eyes riveted on the screen of his computer. 

Damien looked at Nick for a hint of what should be their next move but Nick shrugged slightly with a smile. 

Finally, after a few seconds, one of the bald men ultimately broke the silence while Damien mentally sighed of relief.

"So, what do you think, Mr. Nabokov?" the man asked, turning his chair slightly to look at ‘Grey Eyes’ while the other four did the same.

So, ‘Grey Eyes’ name was actually Nabokov, huh?

Strangely, the discovery of this banal detail relaxed Damien a little.

‘But what the hell is up with me?’

‘Grey Eyes’ or rather Nabokov was prolonging the overwhelming silence, while all eyes were on him. 

But as far as Damien was concerned, there was no suspense to the answer that ‘Grey Eyes’ would give to the question, since Damien thought he knew it. 

Damien believed without a doubt that Nabokov was going to say that this software had no future whatsoever as revenge for the coffee aggression Damien had dared commit against him. 

But Damien couldn't care less about the man's opinion, since there were, nevertheless, five men Damien was sure he and Nick had convinced in their successful demonstration of the software. 

Damien wasn't bothered at all, nor was he nervous of Nabokov's answer, although Damien predicted their presentation wouldn't be part of Nabokov's favorites. 

Anyway, he was just an investor among the five others.

"I think the presentations were all successfully done and revealed some projects that have much potential," he said ultimately with a hoarse and cold voice that would make any woman moan.

Some ‘thanks’ could be heard in the room, while Damien remained stunned by Nabokov’s kind words. 

Did he really compliment the presentations including Nick's? 

Nick looked at Damien with a smile and Damien stared back with an expression he hoped didn't look astonished. 

Damien's suspicious gaze turned on Nabokov whose face remained as neutral as fucking Switzerland.

"Do you plan on making a decision now and give the go to one or some of these projects?" another bald man asked.

Damien was terribly longing for someone to explain to him why it was only Nabokov who needed to make any decision and why nothing could be allow without his permission. 

What about the five other men in costumes that were in the room? 

Didn't they also have a say in it? 

Weren't they investors and loaded men looking to invest in some potentially fruitful project?

[writing-with-zoe]

A Quiet Lake

Amara and I sat on the lake dock, our feet dangling over into the water. Neither of us could sleep that night and snuck out quietly from our cabins. I'd caught her slipping into the kitchen and shooed her away from Brittany's baked goods. I knew Brittany would be furious in the morning if she came in to half eaten cakes and treats.

We did end up grabbing a couple bags of goodies that I was pretty sure wouldn't be missed. Amara had been pointing out the constellations and telling me the stories behind them. I was half listening, more wishing we didn't have to leave at the end of the week to return home. It was paradise here. The fresh air, the solitude, the beautiful lake. There was something magical about the place.

Amara must've noticed me staring off because she gave my shoulder a little push. “You know there's a legend about this lake. A sorrowful one at that.”

I frowned, “no one likes a sad story.”

“Aye but there be meaning in the tales that pull at the heart.” She moved closer to me and wrapped her arm over my shoulder.

“Fiiiine. Tell me a sad story so I learn something. I expect a happy story after then.” I sighed and leaned into her.

“Once upon a time there were two fae lovers, one born at the summer solstice and the other at the winter solstice. They fell in love at first sight at the fae Queen's Harvest Ball. But they weren't allowed to be together because when one would bloom the other would close up for the season. A day or two at time each year they would be together. Hours, sometimes minutes with the hefty schedules laid on them both. One day the summer fae couldn't take the heartbreak of being away from her winter lover anymore. She prayed to the gods to make her something new, a new path to keep her around all year. The gods of troublesome nature heard her pleas and turned her into this very lake.”

I shrugged. “Well she was kinda asking for it.” Amara flicked my nose and I scowled at her. “Just saying. You can't ever trust the gods. I think it's common knowledge that they always have their own agenda. What happened to her winter lover?”

“With the changing of seasons he came to look for her. He passed by her many times without knowing she was here. She wept and wept, growing bigger and bigger. The fae took pity on her and while they couldn't undo the curse of the gods, they could at least let the magic of the moon give her form to speak to her lover.”

“Happy ending then? They met and true love saved them all!” I made a triumphant gesture with my fist raising up.

“Nay. By the time the first full moon came the lake and iced over and left her trapped underneath. She watched him spend the winter marching across the land looking for her. And when the ice began to melt the winter fae melted away with it till the next change.” Amara hugged me close.

“Lessons learned, fae love is complicated, they have shitty rules, gods can't be trusted, and I was silly for believing there would be a happy ending.” I kicked my foot in the water, doing absolutely nothing to cure the sour mood left by the story.

“Maybe look at it a different way. When I recall the tale I think of taking those small moments we have with the ones we loved and cherishing them greatly. Who knows when the next one will be.” Amara said.

“Meh. You owe me a happy story now. Something with a princess and a dragon. Pleaseeee.”

[alissacorreadelrosario]

Invest in long term goals, not on short terms

Hey everyone! What's up?!

One of the things that I've realized is to focus on the foods that we eat because it will affect our physical health when we get older. I admit that I love sweets so much like ice cream, chocolates and cakes. Maybe, you will agree that these are all yummy, right?

But as we age, we should invest in long term goals not on short term one. What I mean is eat salads and other healthy food options instead of eating an instant noodles. Choose to eat healthy fruits with good health benefits instead of the sweet desserts.

I am in my late 20s and as I mature I am trying to remove all my stress and I also promise to myself to never indulge again in stress eating because it is not good for me. If you also did the same (stress eating), I think it is never too late to cut the carbs and focus on the foods that will give the appropriate nutrients that we need.

Another thing is for those who loves drinking beer. Yes, you can do it once in a while but not to the point that it is too much. Remember that drinking too much alcohol may cause so many problems in the future in your body like heart and liver disease. In my case, I only drink one glass when I socialize with my friends and it was definitely just for a change of lifestyle. I just know my limit because I don't want to get tipsy. I should know my capacity. So, my advice is when drinking alcohol, be cautious. Don't drink too much & don't drink and drive if you can't.

Another thing about investing in long terms, every now and then, we can reward ourselves with something nice after working (or if you are studying) so hard. I always remind my dear readers to invest on material things that will increase value in the future like land properties and gold investments. But actually, there is another investment that you have to build---that is having an inner peace and self love. The most luxurious thing here on planet Earth are the ones that we cannot bought. Inner peace and self love are both priceless. So every now and then don't forget to spoil yourself with something that will make your heart flutter.

In my 20s, I already have some properties like land and car properties that is under my name and a little jewelry investment that I could pass for the next generation if I will have my own family. I still don't know where will be my future home because I think it will truly depend in my decision with my future partner---the one that I've been praying for. I am planning to save up so that I could add another land investment in the future. But this year 2023, I am investing in my inner peace and self love. I believe that self growth towards spiritual healing is included in that. I truly believe that as brothers and sisters of our Almighty Father, we are all sinners and we are all created equally by the Lord. That is why I am also investing dedicating my life in a worshipping the Lord. A constant communication with our Father is very significant. We should invest in our relationship with our Father, my dear readers.

Inner peace comes when you serve other people selflessly and without asking for anything in return, doing some charity works, traveling and exploring the places you've only read and seen in the internet. When you decide to invest on traveling, you are actually investing in yourself. I don't regret the money that I saved up for traveling. Yes, it is costly but the memories that I've created all over the world is something that is so priceless that cannot be matched to any material things even the most precious diamond in the whole world. My tip is always be on a budget when traveling. I always have a little pocket money because I have to admit it I am kuripot sometimes. During my more than 10 days Europe Trip on November 2022, I decided to have only some euros. When I am in the money changer, I've changed some of my Philippine peso into 500 euros only. Please don't commit the same mistakes that I did. When you are in Europe or anywhere abroad, it is good to have extra money. Yes, being thrifty is good but you need to consider potential dilemmas abroad and you must have an extra amount of money in case of emergency (and not to say shopping). That's it, lesson learned! 😅 Haha.

Whenever I look back, I just laughed at my past mistakes and I only bring the lessons that I've learned.

My dear readers, step out of your comfort zone and be at ease when you enter your courage zone. Truly, everything is beautiful, we just need to have a little leap of faith. For me, stepping out of your comfort zone is a long term invest so that you will discover more of yourself.

Our youth is the socalled planting season and as we age, this will be the harvest season. So let us all plant long term seeds in our life so that our future selves will thank us for. Invest in long term goals.

Love lots, A 💞

[burstofinspiration]

Death Renewed - Guild Wars 2 Fanfiction

~Two hundred and fifty years ago the Savior of Tyria vanished from the world. Name lost to history and existence debated by historians in recent times, the Savior's impact upon Tyria seems to have faded into obscurity. Until now.~

<- [Chapter 1]

Chapter 2

The overseers of Grenth's domain were gathered deep in the cavernous recesses of the Bone Pits. The congregation stood within a sprawling expanse of winding catacombs, the towering walls of frozen bone and ebony rock stretching high above their heads. Around them, a multitude of the Underworld's refuse lay scattered across the ashen ground; decaying carcasses and stray skeletal remains lay caked in the ancient crushed bones of countless centuries past. The distant squelching and groans of the giant flesh hulks that roamed the Pits could be heard. It was the only sound among the silence of the damned and dead.

Both necromancers stood before the Council of the Seven Reapers of Grenth. Their forms, alight like unholy torches, loomed over the former hero and Desmina. Their sickly green masses were born from Grenth's divine magic that churned under wispy cloaks dark as midnight. He stole a quick glance to his right. Desmina was regarding the Seven Reapers, her pale face a perfect mask concealing whatever thoughts lay beneath. We are far from Dhuum's straining chains and seals from within the spires of the Hall of Judgement but without intervention, he thought, all of the Underworld will fall under his domain in time.

Was that what they wanted from him? Both he and Desmina, with the aid of the Reapers, had already tried and failed in stopping Dhuum's feast upon the River of Souls. If the Reapers do have a plan, then by Grenth's guidance may it work, he silently prayed.

The Reaper of the Ice Wastes, from its place at the center of the council, glided forth, leaving an icy trail in its wake. When it spoke, its voice was a booming choir of frigid whispers. "Proclaimed champion of Grenth. Your presence before the Council of Seven is past due."

"We sacrifice much to be before you. The fallen god shall surely take advantage of our absences." Said another as powerful undead magics rippled across the council. The force caused their cloaks of black smoke to flail wildly about. "Then let us make haste and be done with it," Desmina ordered, striding forward before them.

"Red Witch..." They hissed in unison and it was as if every judged soul in the Underworld was wailing from their maws. "You do not command the Reapers." Their words sapped the very air of its life, and he watched her stiffen under their gaze. Around them the Bone Pits fell silent, the sound of far-off stomping and pained groans ceased as the lumbering abominations of congealed flesh fell still like grotesque puppets cut from their strings.

"Are we in accord?" The council's haunting chorus sent an involuntary chill down his spine. Grenth's Seven Reapers assembled truly was a testament to His infallible sovereignty.

"...We are." Desmina relented, her breath now frosted, turning and snapping in two a jutted bone under her heel. She returned to her place among the scattered corpses. All seven turned their attention back to him. "Champion, your own misguided exile has ended. You are needed to stem the tide of consequences from your mistakes." When one Reaper finished another would continue. "Steps must be taken to silence The Voice in the Void."

"And what would you suggest that I do?" His own breath came out as frosty mist. "The course of the River of Souls cannot be changed."

"You shall do nothing." The overseer of the Ice Wastes retorted immediately; angry black tendrils lashed out from the edges of its cloak. Its voice was an icy dagger in his ears. "The Prince's gift must be relinquished from your flesh. Your actions have shown that you are unworthy of such power. It shall be used by another."

He stared, perturbed, at the Seven's ghastly faces. Their visages were unmoving as emerald and onyx twisted behind hollow eye sockets and open jaws. Did they mean to strip him of the very prize he had sacrificed so much for? No, he thought, Never.

"You demand too much!" He challenged, indignation rising in his throat. The necromancer let the power swell from within, conjuring jagged ice from nothingness and willing bone to gather from the carrion littered around them, forming a staff at his side. The remains Desmina had broken underfoot suddenly rose from their resting place; his mere presence caused the bones to snap and bind together to shape a lesser horror. It shambled its lopsided form over to its new master.

"You would take that which I have rightfully earned? Every sacrifice. Every trial. All for nothing!?" His voice rose higher and higher until his screams filled the entire cavern. The rage in his words mirrored his twisted grimace and intricate scar patterns upon his flesh smoldered a sickly green from beneath his robes. With dark magic alive and frenzied at his limbs, he was a whirlwind of necrotic power as ancient bone ash swirled in a tornado of anger around them all.

"You presume to know where Grenth's gifts are most worthy?" His hardened glare of piercing jade passed over each Reaper before him.

"Do you?"

His mouth fell partially agape, their question echoing through the underground necropolis of bone and discarded flesh. It surrounded him from every angle, boring into his mind like a hungry worm inside a rotting apple, demanding to be answered. However, after a great deafening silence had passed he found that he could not.

"You weigh your worth to the Prince on skewed scales, champion." A Reaper continued when the necromancer had slumped his shoulders in defeat, the necrotic whirlwind dissipating. "The scales of judgment demand balance against the weight of your transgression... You must yield your power."

He was silent for he could not deny that there was truth in the council's words. How could his actions be in alignment with the charge Grenth had left him? No... Grenth's scales would demand judgment for my failure. The thought brought forth the claws of his despair, gripping him anew. His minion shrieked, sensing his master's duress, flashing rows of razor-white teeth at an invisible enemy from its place at his heels.

"To whom would it be bestowed upon?" He asked, voice cold and bitter.

"Me," Desmina said, drawing his wide-eyed gaze. "I am the most suitable to receive that which He has given you."

"The First Priestess is correct. His gift would be split among the Council if absorbed... Diluted." He caught the ghost of a smirk cross Desmina's cheek at the Reaper's affirmation and the icy wrath crept up his throat again. In accord indeed, he thought. So this is the reason you sought me out Red Witch... You've been scheming behind my back.

His grip on the staff tightened, ice cracking under the weight of his revived anger. "And if I refuse?"

"Then you further the collapse of our Lord's hold on his own realm. Dhuum's cage crumbles... You will become what you fought so hard to destroy over two centuries ago; Tyria's doom." With each prediction that passed Desmina's lips, the guilt clawing inside his chest tore more and more of his resolve away. Damn her. Damn her and her poisoned tongue.

"Pray tell, Red Witch, how will this help you against Dhuum's rising power?"

Desmina matched his deep scowl. Her narrowed eyes were fossilized pools of amber; she answered with a bolt of crimson crackling between the tall horns of her crown. The council's chilling voices broke the palpable tension between them. "Consolidation of Grenth's power shall allow the First Priestess to limit the fallen god's influence over the River of Souls. His hold over the newly dead will not break, merely diminish his ability to amass power."

He went to retort, to say that this plan would only amount to stalling the inevitable, but Desmina's tongue was quicker. "There is more. Listen."

"The First Priestess shall take up governance over the dead. The charge you abandoned. The council's campaign shall continue to lead Grenth's faithful against the fallen one's minions throughout the realm. You," The Reaper of the Ice Wastes, lifted its black, gnarled, claw of a hand from beneath its cloak to point at him. "You shall become lesser. A mortal once more... however, your duty to the Prince of Winter shall not end."

The Reaper was silent for a moment as if expecting an outburst but when none came it continued, "You shall be tasked with two charges. Both are familiar. The first... Saving Tyria."

"Saving... Tyria?" He echoed, the words sounding almost foreign on his tongue.

"The threats that Tyria faces are known to the council... and what the fallen god stands to gain from their victory. Prayers cry out for Grenth's protection. His justice. You shall answer them."

He stared in stunned silence, realization slowly dawning on him. They... they mean to cast me out? To strip me bear before casting me out of the last vestiges still bearing Grenth's touch?

The Reaper's choir of icy whispers invaded his mind again. "The second shall allow us to silence the Voice in the Void. You shall gather Tyria's greatest champions. Return and reclaim the Hall of Judgement. Reseal Dhuum." The name of the fallen god sent out ripples of inky darkness across their phantasmal forms.

The necromancer opened his mouth to respond to the council's commands but found no words to say so he closed it, brow creasing in thought. Perhaps...perhaps this penance can allow me to beg forgiveness before Grenth when He returns.

"Time is short," Desmina said with finality. "You must make your choice. Now."

A part of him wanted nothing more than to retreat to that icy tomb of guilt and despair atop the Ice Wastes. It whispered from the deepest, blackest pits of his mind that returning to Tyria would bring only more pain and suffering but he willed it to be silent. "There is no choice." He told her after a long moment of silence. "There is only what must be done." His eyes shifted from holding her narrowed gaze to regarding the Reapers with grim resolve. May Grenth shield me against the trials ahead, he prayed.

"I understand... I accept."

"Very well..." The Seven Reapers said in unison, their voices still holding the authority of the very will of the Underworld. "Let it be decreed by the Council of Seven, rightful watchers of the Underworld and chosen of Grenth, that judgment be passed upon you: Guardian of Tyria... Slayer of Shiro Tagachi... Averter of Nightfall... For the failure of your duties as a warden over the Ender of All and the abandonment of the overseer to the newly dead; Your sentence shall be in accordance with the scales of judgment."

The cavern shook and groaned from the council's decree. The walls of bleached bone and ebony rock split at the surface, and high above millennia-old stalagmites of each fell from the ceiling, crashing to the ashen-dusted cavern floor around them. The Seven Reapers each raised a hand toward him, clawed fingers shimmering in a putrid green haze, and said, "We hereby exile you from your place among Grenth's venerated. You shall be a Tyrian once more... Defend your home in Grenth's name... Return in force to strike down Dhuum... Again, do you accept?"

He released his grip on his staff, the ice shattering into countless pieces as it fell away. "I do." He said, his answer holding no hint of hesitation.

"Then the warmth of life shall be returned to you." The council's words filled the vastness around them as tendrils of obsidian snaked from their outstretched hands with unholy speed, hooking into his flesh. "And the embrace of Grenth's gift shall be taken away." So it was with his mouth opened in a wordless scream and eyes rolled back into his skull, that Hero of Tyria's soul came undone. Desmina watched the Reapers untangle his soul from his body, eager eyes soaked in cold mirth. Each claw that curled pulled at a black tendril, like shadowy strings of a marionette, and with each pull of a string the council ripped his soul away, piece by piece.

When the Reapers had finished his sundered soul swirled and hissed with power, bathing the cavernous tomb in an eerie emerald glow that outshone even the council's presence. All seven outstretched both ghostly arms, the puppeteers now setting about separating his soul from the power bestowed upon him by the God of Death. His soul let loose a terrible howl, the ethereal wail permeating throughout the catacombs with palpable agony as they tore apart the very fabric of his essence.

The former hero's torment was an infinity of pain, an ouroboros looping in on itself without end. A universe of suffering condensed into a single moment. He screamed and screamed and screamed with his whole being, but it only seemed to worsen the anguish. Then the moment passed and another universe was born, and each new moment bringing with it a pain so visceral that he felt himself unravel at the seams. All that he was; all that he had been like strings being slowly tangled into impossible knots. However, deep within at the core of his being he felt a familiar presence. It was the same sphere of unmelting ice that had sheltered him when he had nothing, when he was nothing. He poured what was left of himself into it. All of his pain and his happiness. Every waking memory and tormenting nightmare; every remembered regret and moment of triumph. All of it... until there was nothing left to give.

His lone minion went into a frenzy, shrieking and thrashing uncontrollably underneath his master's tortured soul. Desmina flicked her wrist and silenced the creature in a small tomb of ice; her eyes never leaving the misty mass of divine magic that had taken shape. She strode forward, her stygian dress's blood-red coattails passing over the rubble of black rock now laying among the carcasses and fine bone ash. Grenth's gift will now be where it rightfully belongs. Her wicked smile spreading from ear to ear, painted in dancing green light. Desmina raised both arms up to receive the well of divine power before her, greedily drinking it in while the Reapers guided the necromancer's soul back to his body.

He collapsed immediately, knees buckling inward and ornate robes of onyx and emerald pooling around him. He managed to reach out before his head struck the cold cavern floor, catching himself upon a fallen slab of obsidian. His breath was ragged, his whole body shivering in the frigid air of the Underworld. For the first time in centuries, he felt cold. It was an unnatural chill that seeped into his skin, through muscle and past bone, sapping what little strength remained.

"You must take up your new charge without delay, First Priestess."

"Yes, yes." Desmina said, not bothering to face the Reapers. "But first we have to send the hero on his way."

"Rise." She commanded and with a release of necrotic magic, a horde of long skeletal hands suddenly burst forth from the ground, lifting the Hero of Tyria in their bony grasp. The man's eyes fluttered to stay open against the waiting abyss eager to claim him.

"Ready the portal."

The frigid pressure of the council's collective magics was the only sign of their defiance of her demands. The Seven Reapers gathered in a large wide circle among the refuse and rubble. They unfurled their blackened clawed appendages to the cavern's cracked lofty ceiling, their forms flickering with power as a wordless incantation passed between them.

"I commend you for your sacrifice. It seems you still have your heroic tendencies after all..." Desmina's voice seemed to come from far away; the ocean of darkness sinking him further and further down, drowning his mind and eroding his senses. "And for that, I thank you." Through the fading light, her wicked smile loomed down upon him from above the surface of dark waters.

"Gr...enth..." he managed to croak out.

"Do not worry. I remain loyal to the Prince of Winter." Desmina cooed darkly, her glowing amber eyes trailing over his features. She brought a gloved hand to his face, her fingertip smoldering in inky black fire. Such a shame Desmina thought, you are rather handsome.

The Red Witch dragged her finger down diagonally from his forehead to chin, flesh bubbling and sizzling like melting wax at her touch. "Let this scar upon your soul be a reminder to you. Let it throb with the guilt and shame of your failures each time you gaze upon it..." Streaks of blood sprung forth from the wound as she spoke, her tormenting black fire searing a ghoulish scar upon his pale visage. Too weak to scream, too numb to feel pain, the man only silently writhed. His muscles involuntarily jerked in protest but the hands of the dead held him firmly imprisoned. Her grin only grew wider when she finished, eyeing the ugly ravaged skin of her making. "And always remember hero..." Her voice was but a faint whisper now, echoing in the blackness. "You cannot fail."

"The portal to Tyria stands ready," The Reapers said. "Make haste, for it cannot be allowed to be active for long. The fallen one may sense our presence."

Desmina moved toward the portal, the hands of bone following in her footfalls. More limbs sprouted ahead of the man's body to carry him along while those no longer supporting his weight retreated back down into the cold dead earth.

He could not feel the vise-like grip of his prison. Nor could he see the dagger-tipped stalagmites of the cavern ceiling high above him, not possessing the strength to even lift his eyelids. He sank in a sea of nothingness, every sense faded away into the abyss that had all but swallowed him whole. However, he felt something pulling on his consciousness, calling to him.

The force kept him tethered to the waking world, but it was getting weaker and weaker. It threatened to snap and send his teetering mind wholly into oblivion. A primal fear took root then, a feral desperation to cling to the last sensation tying him to anything at all. The all-encompassing void had become a shackled black coffin, and his mind strained against the chains to call back out to it.

With palms outstretched, Desmina raised her arms and more skeletal appendages were conjured forth to obey her will. They encircled his limp form, bleached bony digits interlocked with one another, snapping and popping together into a large skeletal fist the size of a Reaper at its full height. It lifted the Hero of Tyria higher into the air towards the sickening greenish hue of the rippling portal before them.

"Begone." Grenth's first priestess commanded and her puppet obeyed. Reeling back on creaking bones, the large skeletal hand then propelled itself forward, releasing and launching the man from its grip into the portal.

He felt the force almost wink out of existence and in one final soundless scream, thrashed out with his mind, taking hold of the tether and pulled- just as the Hero of Tyria shimmered out of existence.

Desmina felt an inkling of power surge behind her. "What-" she began, whirling around only to catch a glimpse of a shadowy bolt streak across the air above her. The minion that she had entombed in ice was as dead as the corpses littering the ground, its power gone and returned to its master.

"No!" Desmina commanded her puppet to intercept it. It belongs to me! However, it was too late, the magic had already slipped through the portal into Tyria just as the Reapers concluded their ritual. Desmina wore an ugly scowl at the sight of the portal dissipating. Its green light faded from her eyes; her two orbs of seething amber witnessing the last vestige of Grenth's gift disappear, forever out of reach.

o-o-o

For the first time in over two and a half centuries, he dreamt... Dreams of faces he thought he knew but were strangers. Vistas that seemed familiar yet felt alien. Deeds that would inspire bards the world over and failures that would break the resolve of even the mightiest of heroes... Were these dreams? Or perhaps these were memories? He did not know. However, each one ended the same grim way. A great darkness would rise up, a behemoth of shadow devouring everything in its wake; swallowing all in its bottomless gluttony...